Friction-clutch.



No. 669,68l. Patented Man. |2,'|90|.

C. 0. CARLSON. FRICTION cLuTcH.

(Application filed July 21, 1900.)

(No Model.) 2 Shoots-Shin I.

' @ZM OCLLM .ru: NORRIS PETERS 00., wnoruwna. WASHINGTON. o. c.

FFICEW CHARLES O. OARLSON, OF BROOKLYN, NEW YORK, ASSIGNOR, BY MESNE ASSIGNMENTS, TO INTERNATIONAL GAS ENGINE COMPANY, OF NEW JERSEY.

FRICTION-CLUTCH.

SPEUIFIUATION forrning' part Of Letters Patent N0. 669,681, dated March 12, 1901.

Application filed July 21,1900. Serial No. 24,350. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, CHARLES O. OARLsoN, a resident of Brooklyn, in the county of Kings and State of New York, have inventeda new and useful Improvementin Friction-Clutches; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description thereof.

My invention relates to friction-clutches, and has for its object a clutch of this character which is simple in construction and which gives increased friction over the clutches now in use.

It consists of a friction-clutch provided with a drum or rim, friction-shoes adapted to bear against said drum or rim, a series of levers for operating said shoes, said levers being arranged in pairs and having a movable or yielding fulcrum common to each pair, whereby the levers of a pair react on each other and are thereby enabled to exert their full pressure.

To enable persons skilled in the art to make and use my invention, I will describe the same more fully, referring to the accompanying drawings, in which Figure l is a face view of the clutch. Fig. 2 is an edge view thereof looking in the direction of the arrow at, Fig. 1, the drum or rim being shown in section. Fig. 3 is an edge view of the clutch looking at it in the direction of the arrow 1), Fig. 1, the drum or rim being omitted. Fig. 4 is a sectional view on the line 4 4, Fig. 1. Fig. 5 is a similar view on the line 5 5, Fig. 1. Fig. 6 is a face view of one of the friction-shoes. Fig. 7isa back edge View thereof. Fig. 8 is a cross-section thereof on the line 8 8, Figs. 6 and 7. Fig. 9is a face view of one of the operating-1e vers. Fig. 10 is a view of one side thereof, and Fig. 11 a view of the opposite side thereof.

The clutch comprises a drum or rim 1,which runs loosely upon the shaft 2, and a back plate or disk 3, which is splined to said shaft and upon which the friction-shoes 4 and operating mechanism are mounted. The friction-shoes 4 each comprise a segmental flange 5 and the Web 6, said web having a hole cut therein, as shown at 7, and provided with hearing ribs or projections 7 a 7 on both faces of said web and on each side of said opening 7. The ends of the flange 5 are formed into curved bearings or knuckles8 8,said knuckles being intersected by the slots 9 9.

The back plate or disk 3 is provided with projections 10 10, which fit into the openings 7 of the friction-shoes 4, and with a hub or flange l1, surroundingthe shaft 2. Between the rear bars 12 of the web of the frictionshoes and the projections 10 of the disk 3 are placed bent springs 13, which act to withdraw the shoes from engagement with the drum or rim 1.

Secured to the disk 3 at diametrically opposite points and at points ninety degrees.

removed from the projections 10 10 are studs or bolts 14: 14 for receiving the wedges l5 15, said wedges being provided with apertures by means of which they are slipped upon the studs or bolts 14, the apertures in said wedges being somewhat larger than the studs or bolts, so that said Wedges have a free movement laterally. The wedges are cored out, as shown at 16, for receiving the spiral springs 17, which rest upon the back plate 3 and serve to hold the wedges away from the back plate. The upper ends of the studs or bolts are screw-threaded for receiving nuts 18, by means of which the wedges may be forced toward the back plate against the tension of the springs 17.

The levers 19 are each provided atone end with the inclined curved seat 20, which rests against the sides of the wedge 15 and are provided near the same end, on the opposite side thereof, with a curved seat 21, which receives a knuckle 8 of the friction-shoes. The seat 21 is divided by a projecting rib or flange 22, which fits in a slot 9 of the friction-shoe. The opposite end of each lever is provided with a projecting portion 23, having a bearing-face fulcrums for said levers, means for adjusting plate or disk 3, with the projections 10 of the disk passing through the holes 7 of the shoes. The levers 19 are arranged in pairs, as shown, the seats 20 of one pair bearing upon opposite sides of one of the wedges l5 and the seats 21 thereof receiving a knuckle of each of the friction-shoes, while the seats 20 of the remaining pair of levers bear against opposite sides of the other wedge 15 and the seats 21 thereof receiving a knuckle of each of the friction-shoes. The inner ends of said levers project toward the-shaft and lie on opposite sides thereof in such position that the bearing-faces 24 thereof can be acted upon by the cone 25. When the cone 25 is moved along the shaft 2 toward the back plate 3, it forces the inner ends of the levers 19 outward, thereby forcing the friction-shoes 4 into engagement with the inner surface of the drum or rim 1. The wedges 15 are freely movable to a slight extent by reason of the holes therethrough being slightly larger than the studs upon which said wedges are mounted, so that the levers of each pair react upon each other, thereby accurately centering the shoes with reference to the drum or rim and enabling the levers to exerttheir full pressure. Whenever the parts become worn or slightly loose, the nuts 18 on the upper ends of the studs 14 are screwed down, thereby forcing the wedges 15 downward to compensate for the Wear, the springs 17 serving to prevent said wedges from falling against the back plate.

The construction of the clutch is comparatively simple, the parts are all strong and easily removable and cannot get out of place, while the amount of friction exerted by said clutch is much greater than that of any other friction-clutch in use, and any wear of the parts can be readily compensated for by forcing downward the wedges 15, as above described.

What I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. In a friction -clutch, the combination with a drum or rim, of friction-shoes adapted to bear against said drum or rim, levers connected at one end to said shoes for actuating the same, yielding or movable fulcrums for said levers, and means acting on the opposite ends of said levers for actuating the same.

2. In a friction -clutch, the combination with a drum or rim, of friction-shoes adapted to bear against said drum or rim, levers arranged in pairs for actuating said shoes, amovable fulcrum common to each pair of levers, and means for actuating said levers.

3. In a frictionclutch, the combination with the drum or rim, of friction-shoes adapted to bear against said drum or rim, levers for actuating said shoes, wedges serving as said wedges, and means for actuating said isvers.

4. In a friction -clutch, the combination with the drum or rim, of friction-shoes adapted to bear against said drum or rim, levers arranged in pairs for actuating said shoes,

movable wedges common to each pair of levers and serving as a fulerumtherefor, means for adjusting said wedges, and means for actuating said lovers.

5. In a friction -clutch, the combination with the drum or rim, of friction-shoes adapted to bear against said drum or rim, levers arranged in pairs for actuating said shoes, an adjustable wedge common to each pair of said levers and serving as a fulcrum therefor, said wedges being mounted so as to be freely movable in either direction, and means for actuating said levers.

6. In a friction-clutch, the combination with the drum or rim, of friction-shoes adapted to bear against said drum or rim, levers for actuating said shoes, wedges serving as fulcrums for said levers, springs bearing against said wedges, means for forcing said wedges downward against said springs, and means for actuating said levers.

7. In a friction clutch, the combination with the drum or rim, of friction-shoes adapted to bear against said drum or rim, levers arranged in pairs for actuating said shoes, a yielding fulcrum between the outer ends of each pair of levers,and means bearing against the opposite end of said levers for actuating the same, the shoes engaging said levers at a point intermediate their ends.

8. In a friction -clutch, the combination with the drum or rim, of friction-shoes adapted to bear against said drum or rim, levers arranged in pairs for actuating said shoes, adjustable wedges between one end of each pair of levers and serving as a fulcrum therefor, said wedges being movable in either direction, and means at the opposite end of said levers for actuating the same, the frictionshoes engaging said levers at a point intermediate their ends.

9. In a friction-clutch, the combination wth the drum or rim, of friction-shoes adapted to bear against said drum or rim, said shoes being provided with bearing projections or knuckles and a slot or recess in said knuckles, levers provided with a seat for receiving the kn tickles of said shoes and a projection adapted to enter the recess thereof, and means for actuating said levers.

In testimony whereof I, the said CHARLES O. OABLSON, have hereunto set my hand.

CHARLES O. CARLSONQ Witnesses:

F. G. PITOHER, HOWARD C. FLETCHER. 

